Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Tuesday, August 08, 2017

Catching up with the West

Nearly every country claims exceptionalism and promotes nationalism. China may be catching up with the west when it comes to action movies.

Wolf Warrior 2: The nationalist action film storming China
"Anyone who offends China will be killed no matter how far the target is."

That is the tagline for Wolf Warriors 2, the Chinese box office hit that is equal parts testosterone-fuelled machismo - think blazing guns, explosions, and tanks - and chest-thumping Chinese patriotism.

It sees a soldier venturing into an African warzone and saving hundreds of lives from Western baddies. It's basically the plot of your typical Hollywood action movie, but this time it's a Chinese man upholding justice and keeping the world safe…

The film has raked in a record 1.6bn yuan ($238m; £181m) in just one week. The massive response in China also made the film top the global box office worldwide last weekend, beating Hollywood blockbuster Dunkirk…

The film revolves around a covert rescue mission when rebels overrun a town in an unnamed African country.

Leng Feng, a Chinese special forces soldier played by Wu Jing, is sent in to save Chinese businessmen and locals held by Western mercenaries.

Many moviegoers said online that they were touched by the patriotic plot…

The film premiered just ahead of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese army, a hugely symbolic event for the country.

Over the weekend, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) held a grand military parade which presented the latest in China's arsenal of weapons.

In a stern speech, which in parts was not dissimilar to lines from the film, President Xi Jinping vowed to fight anyone who tried to split China.

The Chinese government's mouthpiece People's Daily hailed Wolf Warrior 2 as a "superhero movie of Chinese style" that showed "fearless heroism and responsibility" and evoked passion for patriotism…

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